Is there a healthy alternative to roast potatoes?

Who doesn't love roast potatoes? A favorite side dish at family dinner tables up and down the land. But is there a healthier alternative? And what did my family think of it?

I served up these orange and purple sweet potatoes yesterday evening. I also chopped up carrots and red onions, drizzled with some olive oil and a few grinds of Himalayan pink salt and baked in a moderate oven for 1½ hours.

Sweet potatoes are high in fibre and vitamin C, and are a great source of carotenes, potassium, calcium and vitamin K. They have a low GI and therefore keep you feeling fuller for longer than traditional white potatoes. The purple variety also contain anthocyanins, which are the same antioxidant pigments found in blueberries.

Antioxidants may help prevent or delay cell damage caused by free radicals in your cells, and it is important that we get a good source of these compounds every day by eating a wide variety of different coloured fruits and vegetables.

So....the kids enjoyed them, although they did comment on the different texture of the sweet potatoes compared with regular ones. All in all, a successful swap and one that will be repeated!